Beef Bourguignon
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This Beef Bourguignon is a classic French beef stew recipe adapted from Julia Child, full of flavorful tender beef in a rich red wine sauce. It’s so much more than just a beef stew, it’s comforting and a must try!
What Is Beef Bourguignon
With the cold weather we’ve been having, one of my favorite things to make for dinner are stews and soups. My version of beef bourguignon takes Julia Child’s classic French recipe and simplifies it. I wanted this to be simple enough for anyone to make and all in one pot. The one thing that is required is to slowly cook this for 2 to 3 hours, until the beef is super tender and melts in your mouth.
Beef Bourguignon also known as beef Burgundy because it originates from the Burgundy region in France. It is a very popular and classic French recipe. Traditionally the dish is made with lardons which are cubes of pork fat, but I made it here with thick cut bacon instead. The bacon is fried first, then the beef is browned in the bacon fat. This will give your stew a deep and savory flavor which we crave, the kind that makes you want to lick your plate clean.
Usually the mushrooms and onions are cooked separately but you all know I love my one pot dishes, so I cooked everything together. I could not tell the difference; the flavors are still all there in this incredible beef stew.
Why You’ll Love My Beef Bourguignon Recipe
- Easy Recipe! You can make this beef stew in just a few easy steps with some basic ingredients and stewing meat. You don’t need to have any special skills or fancy equipment to make this recipe.
- Julia Child Classic! This classic French stew full of flavorful tender beef in a rich red wine sauce is an iconic Julia Child recipe. My version is just as delicious but with fewer steps.
- Refined Family Favorite! Make this fancy-tasting beef stew for your family and it will knock their socks off! But the best part is that it’s also a fantastic affordable make-ahead meal.
- Olive Oil – I use olive oil for the flavor, but you can also use any type of vegetable oil you like. Olive oil is optional though, since you’ll have to sear the beef in batches, if you feel you need more oil, than the bacon fat, feel free to add some.
- Bacon – Thick-cut bacon works best for this recipe and adds loads of flavor. But any cut of bacon will work.
- Beef – You will need some cubed lean stewing beef. You can pick some up already packaged in any grocery store.
- Onion – Brown onion adds the most flavor, but any type of onion you have on hand is fine.
- Carrot – Adds a touch of sweetness to the stew.
- Pearl Onions – A classic beef bourguignon vegetable that is always added to the stew. If you can’t find them in the produce section you can sometimes find them in the frozen vegetable section.
- Seasonings – Salt and black pepper are needed to season the meat and stew by enhancing all the natural flavors.
- Garlic – Always use fresh minced garlic cloves for the best flavor. Store-bought garlic can sometimes be bitter because of the added preservatives.
- Mushrooms – Traditionally, the stew is made with white mushrooms or cremini mushrooms, but any type of fresh mushrooms can be used.
- Flour – A bit of simple all-purpose flour is needed to thicken the sauce. If you are gluten-free you could use a few teaspoons of cornstarch instead.
- Red Wine – Creates depth in flavor by adding a touch of acid to the dish. Red Burgundy wines such as Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon are the best choices.
- Beef Broth – To control the amount of added salt I always use no-sodium added or low-sodium beef stock.
- Tomato Paste – Just a little bit is used to add a touch of tomato taste and umami.
- Bay Leaf – An important aromatic herb commonly used in cooking to add herby depth.
- Thyme – You need to use fresh thyme for the most classic flavor. Dried thyme will work but it’s just not as good.
This beef stew which seems to be a fancy dish is ridiculously easy to make! The oven does all the work by braising stew meat into tender deliciousness. The result is a stew layered with flavor that took very little effort to make.
The first step is to cook the bacon! To do this, just heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom large pot that is oven safe. Next, add the bacon and cook it until it’s crispy. Then transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil and then set it aside for a later step.
Next, you will cook the beef in the same pot that you just cooked the bacon. But you will need to do this step in batches. So add the first batch of beef cubes to the pot and brown it well on all sides. Then transfer it to a plate and repeat the process with the remaining meat. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to sear the meat in 2 to 4 batches.
After the beef is seared, once again you’ll use the same pot for this step. Add all the beef back to the pot, along with it the onion, carrot, pearl onions, garlic and then season them with a bit of salt and black pepper. Now cook the veggies for 3 to 5 minutes or until the onions become soft and translucent.
Before you begin the next step, you need to preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) so that it is ready to go once the beef bourguignon is assembled. You never want to put the stew into an oven that isn’t hot enough yet.
Now it’s time to get the sauce going! To begin, add the mushrooms and then sprinkle them with the flour. Then stir everything together and let the mixture cook for another 2 minutes.
Next add the cooked bacon back into the pot along with the tomato paste, bay leaf and thyme. Then pour in the red wine and beef broth.
Once the stew comes to a boil you will need to transfer it to the oven. So cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and then place it in the oven to braise and simmer for about 2 to 3 hours, stirring it every hour. It’s very important to stir it so that the stew doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan or burn and everything cooks evenly. When done, the beef will be perfectly tender. I like the remove the lid for the last half hour of the cooking process but this is up to you.
After the beef bourguignon is finished cooking, remove the bay leaf from the stew. Then taste the dish and season it with salt and pepper if needed. Now, garnish it with some fresh chopped parsley or fresh thyme if you like, and serve it over some tasty Buttered Noodles or creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
What’s The Difference Between Beef Stew And Beef Bourguignon?
The difference between typical beef stew and beef bourguignon has to do with wine. Standard beef stew is normally made with water, broth, and a tomato product for the sauce. However, beef bourguignon is always made with red wine. And for it to truly be considered bourguignon the wine should be a red Burgundy wine.
What Wine Is Best For Beef Bourguignon?
It’s traditionally made with Pinot Noir, which is the type of red wine that the Burgundy region of France is most famous for. However, other red Burgundy wines such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon are other great choices. The most important thing is to choose a red wine that has plenty of tannins in it to contrast with the richness of the stewed meat.
Expert Tips
- Pat the meat dry. Use paper towels to pat the cubed stew meat dry to remove any excess moisture before you cook it. This helps to get a better sear on the meat, which makes the stew more flavorful.
- Do saute the veggies. When making stew it’s easy to want to just toss everything into a pot thinking that it all cooks together anyway. However, cooking is a science and true layered flavor is created in steps.
- Season at the end. To avoid oversalting, wait until the beef bourguignon is fully complete before adding more salt. Ideally, you should taste it right before serving and then season it to your liking.
Storage
Leftover beef bourguignon will keep in the fridge for about 4 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze the stew for up to 3 months. To reheat, just put the leftovers in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power or in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat. However, if it has been frozen, it’s best to let the stew thaw out in the fridge overnight prior to reheating.
Other Delicious Beef Recipes To Try
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Beef Bourguignon
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
- 8 slices bacon (thick cut, chopped)
- 3 pounds stewing beef (lean, cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1 large carrot (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 1 pound pearl onions (peeled)
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon pepper (ground, or to taste)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 pound mushrooms (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon thyme (fresh)
- 2 cups beef broth (low sodium or no sodium added)
- 3 cups red wine
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a large Dutch oven or a heavy based pot that's oven safe and cook until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined bowl and set aside.
- Add the stewing beef in batches and brown well on all sides. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining beef. Add a bit of olive oil if needed, in between batches. I did 3 batches, but depends on the size of your pot.
- Add all the beef back to the pot. Next, add the chopped onion, carrot, pearl onions, garlic and season with some salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender and translucent.
- Stir in the mushrooms then sprinkle the flour over. Stir and let it cook for another 2 minutes.
- Next add the cooked bacon back into the pot along with the tomato paste, bay leaf and thyme. Then pour in the red wine and beef broth. Bring to a boil.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F degrees while you're bringing the stew to a boil.
- Cover the pot with a lid, transfer it to the oven and cook for 2½ hours stirring every hour. I like to remove the lid half hour before finished cooking.
- Serve over cooked noodles or creamy mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Which wine works best: Beef Bourguignon is typically made with a red Burgundy such as a Pinot Noir, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. You want a red wine that has enough tannins to counter the rich and tender stewed beef.
- Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon: Follow all the steps up to and including step 5 then transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon: This can easily be done in the IP, use your Saute mode to cook everything as instructed up to and including step 5 then cover up the IP and press the “meat/stew” or manual button and set the timer to 35 minutes. After 35 min of high pressures, allow the IP to naturally cool and release pressure before opening the lid.
- Pat the meat dry. Use paper towels to pat the cubed stew meat dry to remove any excess moisture before you cook it. This helps to get a better sear on the meat, which makes the stew more flavorful.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
